Puzzle
by ArmAndLeg
Summary: House asks Wilson for advice, only to find that Wilson doesn't believe that the answer House wants exists. What Wilson doesn't know is that House has already solved the puzzle, and was just putting the last piece into place.


AN: I'm baaaaack. I'm trying so hard not to flood FFN with my House fanfics, which is why I'm posting one ficlet a day. My inspiration knows no bounds, I guess.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I've forgotten to say that in the past couple of posts or so. I'm not in any way affiliated with FOX, so there's no way I can somehow own the show or the characters.

"Puzzle"

"You can't just--make someone fall in love with you. It's not some puzzle--it's not a math problem you can just solve to give you the answers, and once you have the answers the person falls in love with you. Things don't work that way, House. Not everything can be solved like a puzzle--love is one of those things."

House leaned against his cane, studying Wilson before opening his mouth to speak. "You can manipulate someone into loving you--you just have to know what makes them tick. Just look what I did to Stacey--"

"Stacey already loved you. You just--pounced on a weakness and exploited it. She knows a side of you that on one else knows--she's seen more of you than any of us would care to see," Wilson responded. "Why do you need to make someone fall in love with you, anyway? You like being a lonely, insufferable bastard. You wouldn't want to ruin your image, would you?"

House glanced at Wilson, still studying him before he sat down on his couch, placing his cane by the side of the couch. He considered answering Wilson's question seriously, picking up his cane again and bouncing it against the floor. "What if I told you that I loved someone? Would you believe me?"

"Yes--and even if I didn't, I would at least humor you. But it's not like you love anyone, anyway. You don't even love yourself, despite the fact that you have an ego the size of an entire hospital," Wilson muttered. "And if you did--love somebody, I wouldn't even know what to say. I would be too shocked. You? Love someone other than Stacey? It's unheard of."

House was silent after that, staring at his cane as he held it still. "I love you," he said finally, looking up at Wilson. The seriousness in his eyes caused Wilson to keep his mouth shut. He stared at House with one eyebrow raised, prompting House to go further. House only continued to stare Wilson in the eye, puffing out his cheeks for a second before sighing. "I don't know how or when I started feeling this way, but--"

"Wait--you're serious?" Wilson gasped. He paced back and forth for a second, placing a hand to his forehead. He stopped mid-pace to stare at House, his mouth hanging open. "You're--you're _serious_?"

"Yeah, I'm serious. Now would you stop gawking at me? It's not like I'm shoving my privates in your face and asking you to do unseemly things to them--though I certainly wouldn't _mind_--"

"But--it doesn't make any sense!" Wilson continued, ignoring House's snide comments. "And even if it did, I don't--love you, so--"

"I know you don't love me. Why do you think I asked you how to make someone love me?" House muttered, looking away from Wilson. "But it doesn't matter. There's no calculation--no piece to the puzzle that I can put together and magically make you fall in love with me, like you said. And I'm not going to spend countless hours looking for one."

House and Wilson stared at one another, House appearing suddenly vulnerable while Wilson studied him. Slowly Wilson found himself shaking his head. "So--you're gay?"

"No, I'm bi. There's a _huge_ difference," House snapped, rolling his eyes at Wilson at the dumb question. "What does it matter if I'm gay or not? I love you. My sexuality isn't going to change the fact that I'm inexplicably attracted to you, nor is it going to change how you don't feel inexplicably attracted to me," he muttered, anger creeping into his voice. He slammed his cane down onto the coffee table, placing his head in his hands. After a few seconds of silence he ran his fingers through his thinning hair. "There's nothing I can do to change the way you feel. But now you know."

"And how, exactly, does that change anything? How does my knowing get you what you want?"

"It doesn't," House responded simply, lifting his head to glance up at Wilson. Slowly he moved his cane, using it for the support he needed to get off of his couch. "If anything, it takes away from me the very thing I want... Here, let me--show you out the door."

Wilson only stared at House before shaking his head. "I can show myself out, thanks," he muttered, moving away from House. He grabbed his coat, looking away from his best friend. "I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, Wilson left House standing there, alone. It wasn't that House hadn't already solved the puzzle. He knew that he would only end up alone, even after he had shown Wilson a brief moment of vulnerability. He knew he would still be alone once all of the pieces to the puzzle were all in place--and he was right.

Sighing, House pulled out his Vicodin, popping yet another pill for the day. One puzzle solved, thousands more puzzles left to go.


End file.
